Time of My Life
by Sweet Charisma
Summary: Mimato & Sibling Love.Matt and T.K lost their parents in a terrible car crash at a young age. Now it's up to Matt to care for T.K. How is this effecting the bond between everyone and everyone's views on life? Chapter 6 up.
1. Chapter one

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon…k honey? ^_^   
  
Mimi Tachikawa enters her gigantic house in New York, exasperated and utterly exhausted. Her new waitressing job had taken by far a lot out of her. Slipping off her black boots, she brings her feet to the couch. Grabbing the T.V remote, she noticed a note attached to it. Staring at it for a second, she rips it off and reads.  
  
biDearest Mimi;   
  
I knew you'd find the remote as soon as you walked in the door! There are some leftovers from tonight's dinner still on the counter. Dad will be home around 10 and I'll be home around roughly 12 in the morning. I'm sorry honey…but when I do come home I'll have a wonderful announcement that you'd just be dying to hear! I love you Mimi.   
  
-Mama.  
  
bI  
  
Mimi laughed to herself and thought a minute and whispers to herself; "Surprises? Oh suspense is icky!" Then upon deciding against watching T.V, She puts her remote down and ventures down the long hallway into her room. The whole house was done up in baby blue's, lavender's, and soft Yellows. She opened the door to the only mellow pink room in the house. Her room. Plopping on her bed, she grabbed her Care Bear pillow and hugged it close to her chest. Sighing once more, she looks to her right. There was her nightstand, and on it was a picture of each and every one of the digi-destined, old and new. It was a picture of her going away party. Everyone seemed to have forgotten she was going away to New York to just let loose and have fun for her sake. And for that she admired and thanked them greatly.   
  
Focusing on a certain blond, she didn't take her eyes away. 'Matt…' She thought, saddening her eyes. She would never forget him… the one whom overtime, she'd gotten to admire and love. He'd grown so much from when they used to fuss and fight with each other, finding every little thing wrong with the other's personality.   
  
She chuckled to herself noticing that in the picture, she rested her head on Matt's shoulder. He was shooting her a playful looking glance with a cocked brow. She looks to the pillow in her arms and remembers she was holding the exact same pillow in the photo. Matt had given it to her that day as a gift. He was the only one who took her seriously when she bragged about loving 'The Care Bears.' He was the only one that ever really listened to what she had to say, her thoughts, her dreams, what she liked…trivial things like the color pink. Mimi shook her head. It was indeed true that, thanks to each other, both of them were stronger and inspired.  
  
"Matt?" She asks the picture, as if Matt himself could hear. A tear runs down her cheek. "When am I going to get to see you again?"   
  
She wipes the tear from her cheek with her sleeve. She gets up from her bed, changes into white pajama pants, a pink short-sleeved low-cut shirt, and goes down the hallway into the kitchen, once again hoping to take her mind off of things. She opens the fridge and sees a carton of Phish Food ice cream. Taking it out instantly, she sets it on the table, noticing a piece of mail on the table. "Mimi Tachikawa… Yamato Ishida, Odaiba!" She reads, the "To and From" Parts of it. She instantly picks it up and tears it open with her nail. Then Mimi notices that her hands were trembling…but why? Shaking her head, she reads;   
  
---  
  
Meems,  
  
Hey sweet one! How's it hummin' in the American atmosphere? Odaiba is pretty much the same, except you aren't here…I miss you so much Mimi, you have no idea. Everybody was sulking for about a week straight after you left. I know it's been two years, but even though we've both grown, I could never forget that day. That day that the most good-willed, wonderful person I have ever met left on a plane to New York…so far away. I know it sounds stupid but, have you ever felt like somebody was still emotionally with you? That there wasn't any need to write because no matter what, your heart knows that it isn't a final goodbye? That's what I felt for you Mimi. And that's what I still do feel. Even if it's 20 years from now, you and I will still be able to talk, share secrets and special moments. Just like old times!  
  
T.K is doing good. About a year ago, our parents were going out on a date, yes a date…{Sorry if tears get on the page…but it's a very depressing story I think you deserve to know…} because T.K asked mother if she still loved my dad…she said she didn't know. Then when dad dropped me off for the weekend, and they saw T.K run into my arms, we couldn't get them to look away from each others eyes. It was like when I was 6 years old again before my dad started smoking and drinking. They canceled their plans to just go out and talk with each other. The next day, they never came home… we got a call saying they'd both been in a car accident and didn't make it…I got custody of T.K alone when I turned 18. He was crushed. His grades slipped and he felt like I was the only person he had in the world… We redid dad's apartment, since it was bigger, and now we live together. Just us. But, he realized that there were many people here for him, and even his parents. That they've come to realize that they'd made a grave mistake, not in marrying each other, but by divorcing, even if they're not with us physically. His grades have been getting better since Kari's been tutoring. Cute right?   
  
I'm sorry this all had to be in a letter, but to tell you the truth, none of us have your number and I've been ranting at night before I go to bed, out loud, as if you could hear me.. It's embarrassing but it's true…  
  
Mimi I want you to know that no matter how far I am, I'm always here for you. Through good times and bad! ::Whispers:: Nine-sixty-eight-eight-zero-seventy-niiiine if you want to caaall! Yup, that about sums it up for me. I hope you are still blessed with the talent, beauty, and wonderful personality that you always were.   
  
Love Always,   
  
Yama.  
  
PS: T.K is getting so big, I'm going to cry! He's fifteen! Fif-friggin-teen!  
  
---  
  
Mimi looks at the letter for a little bit, taken aback by his use of words. She lets a few tears fall again in quiet sobs. Poor Matt… It was truly one of the most touching letter's she'd ever received. Her and Matt had never been more than best friends and she longed for it so much…She just wanted to hold him and let him fall in her arms and cry. She was proud of how strong he was. For T.K.   
  
Sighing, she puts the letter back into the envelope. She touches her fingers to her lips then puts them on the envelope. "Thank you Yamato…for being all that you are and inspiring me to be all that I am…" She says sadly. Reluctantly she sits in her chair, spooning the ice cream out of the carton and eating it just like that. She lets a smile through, remembering his last few sentences. Chuckling she brings the spoon to her mouth and eats her Phish Food.   
  
\ 


	2. Chapter two

I don't own digimon once again.;)   
  
If there's any plot suggestions or couplings you want feel free to say so and I'll squeeze it in somehow! ^_^  
  
Ages:   
  
Mimi: 17  
  
Matt: 18 *His class ring in this chapter indicates that he's graduated.*  
  
T.K: 15  
  
Kari: 15  
  
Tai: 18  
  
- -   
  
Yamato was in the kitchen of his medium-sized apartment in Odaiba. He stirs a pot of soup with a wooden spoon thoroughly. Ever since his parents passed on, he'd tried to make the environment more comfortable and enjoyable for T.K. to settle into. Determined to be a good parental figure, he did up the apartment with regular lights, backlights, candles, wolf posters, old pictures everywhere, and even strobe lights in each of their rooms. Half the furniture was silver and the other half was black. The kitchen table was See-through and had a fish-tank built into it. There dwelled his favorite fish, Angel-fish. Above the table there was a flat cd player hanging on the wall.   
  
Matt was cooking in a pure candle light, waiting for T.K to be home for dinner. He'd been at Kari's for a Spanish study group. Usually he would go with T.K to see if Tai was around, but he didn't feel much like doing anything tonight. Most of the day he'd baked little snacks for T.K to have when he came home from school. Baking became a thing he did just to get his mind of things. He used to turn his pain into anger but he didn't anymore. Not since Mimi and him got close. She brought out some surprising sides of him that he preferred over his old closed-in self.   
  
Matt sighs as he puts the wooden spoon down onto a towel on the counter. He lowers the temperature, covers the pot, and sits on the chair. Sighing he leans his head on his fist.   
  
Hearing the door open and shut, Yamato tries to peer to the front door but fails. "Teeks?" He calls as he picks his head up and looks through the arched entrance to the kitchen.   
  
"Hey Matt." His little brothers voice calls, just before his whole figure appears to the kitchen.  
  
Matt turns to his brother. "Heeeey little man. What's shakalakin'?"   
  
T.K shakes his head. "Nothing really…Kari taught me how to conjugate Spanish verbs and-"   
  
Matt gasps playfully. "Did you touch anything?"  
  
"What!?"  
  
"You heard me." Matt tries to still take his playful tone.   
  
"Wha…I…No! Matt…why would you thi-"   
  
"Hm…" Matt interrupts. He looks lost in thought but he speaks. "We need a code word. You would tell me if you touched any body parts right?"   
  
T.K nodded. "If you asked yeah…I wouldn't be able to tell you straight out…but that's never going to happen." He takes a seat across from Matt.   
  
"How about…if anything sexual happens between you two, you say…" He thinks for a minute. T.K stares at his brother trying to contain his laughter. He always loved how Matt checked up on him in the funniest of ways. Not too parental but not too easy. "-froggy!" He says snapping.   
  
T.k couldn't hold it anymore. He laughed. "Froggy?"   
  
"Yes…froggy. If anything happens you say…Froggy!"   
  
"Thanks Matt…I'll remember that." T.K says, chuckling.  
  
"No need to thank me little bro!" Matt gives him a warm smile. "How was Kari's?"   
  
T.K grins. "Good as usual." He takes a seat across from his brother, staring down at the fish inside of the table.  
  
"Thought so."  
  
"What have you been doing all day? It smells good in here!"   
  
Matt chuckles. "I made some cookies and brownies for you to snack on." He points to the counter. "There's a cake over there for your Study Group on Tuesday." He explains.   
  
T.K cocks a brow. "Thanks Matt…" He, travels to the stove and lifts the lid of the soup pot curiously. "But, you only cook this much when you're depressed or want to get your mind off of something." Matt tilted his head slightly. "It's Mimi again isn't it?"  
  
Matt looks at T.K disbelievingly. How could he have guessed? "I-…no! Why…" He stumbles.  
  
"Matt…I know you miss her and it's okay to miss her."   
  
Matt sighs to look down. He looks up in time to see T.K covering the pot back up and shutting the stove off. "I sent her a letter…I wonder if she got it…"   
  
T.K puts on a serious face. "If she didn't, she will eventually. You need to cut the postal service some slack. America's a long way away."  
  
Matt looked off to the side. "I guess you're right…" He starts playing with his class ring. "I wonder if she's forgotten me…What she's doing…if she's in college…if she's stuck up, even…God T.K…will she even write me? I have so many God damned questions." He closes his eyes and leans his head up against the wall.  
  
"I wouldn't worry too much about that Matt…" He frowns some-what. " You had great times together. All you can do is never forget that."  
  
Matt sighs. "I just want her to write back…"   
  
T.K takes two bowls out of the cabinet. He puts two spoonfuls of soup in each bowl and gives one to his brother. "Just cheer up, Matt…She promised, remember?"   
  
Matt takes the bowl from T.K and sets it down in front of him. "Yeah…" He smiles. "She did!" He laughs as he recalls the last line Mimi said before boarding her plane to New York.  
  
"I promise Matt…I'll come back…did you really think you'd get rid of me that quickly?" She'd said, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll never forget you." Was the last moment they shared before she turned to board her plane.   
  
The moment replayed over and over in Matt's mind, forcing a smile to his lips. "Ooooh…yes she did." Matt laughs, speaking as if he were playfully threatening Mimi. He sits back, takes the bowl off the table, and spoons some soup into his mouth. He winks at T.K. T.K just chuckled and shook his head. 


	3. Chapter three

- - - Savoan Locc: Aw…doesn't it suck? I put a mimato warning on the summary for a reason. I'm sick of seeing your immature reviews around the site. If you don't like something, don't read it. You're entitled to your opinion but don't be so infantile about it -_-;   
  
All the others: Thank you so much, you guys have been the best. ^_^ I'll try to continue as frequent as I can.   
  
Do not own Digimon.   
  
------  
  
It was about 7 A.M American time. Mimi yawns and stretches sitting up in her bed. She holds her head and sighs. 'Too much Ice cream last night…' she thought with a frown. She lifts herself out of bed and steps on the scale.   
  
"110! Ah Kami-Sama!" She widens her eyes as she looks down to the scale. She snickers for a second. "2 pounds! I hope to the heavens that it's because I'm getting cleavage!" She whines to herself.  
  
Mimi hears a knock on the door. "Mimi! Are you up?"   
  
"Yes Mama!" She calls. "I just need to get dressed then I'll be down for breakfast!" She quickly runs to her closet and grabs some cloths to take in her private bathroom.  
  
"Hurry up Mimi! I need to talk to you about a college letter you received!"   
  
Mimi's eyes widen as she stops in her tracks. She remember that she applied to a fashion institute in Japan. Which means, she would have to live there. Which meant… "Matt…" She whispered to herself. She shakes her head and forcefully pulls the door to her room open. She almost stumbles down the stairs and then reaches the kitchen table panting.   
  
Her dad was sitting there reading the morning paper, with her mother pouring coffee into his cup. "Good Morning Dear!" He greeted his daughter.   
  
She smiles at him sheepishly. "Hiya daddy!" She says as she kisses him on the cheek. "How are you doing-good to hear! Mom where's my letter?"  
  
Mrs. Tachikawa just cocks a brow. "It's over there dear." She points to the other end of the table and then gives a concerned look to her daughter. "Slow down honey!"   
  
Mimi salutes her mother playfully, then rushes to the envelope. She held it in her hands for a couple of seconds. "Mother, why didn't you leave this one the table for me last night? You know how important this was."   
  
"I'm sorry Mimi, I just wanted to be here when you opened it…" She smiles to Mimi. "I want to see my baby happy…but I don't want her to leave home." She looks somberly to her husband who nods.  
  
Mimi giggles. "I'll always visit home no matter what happens…" She turns it over and skims the address as if to be stalling.   
  
Her dad looks up to her "Go ahead."   
  
Mimi smiles devishly and tears the envelope with her fingernail. She pulls out the paper and reads it. Her face went blank. Her parents' faces looked worried. "I…"   
  
"What honey?" Mimi's mom asks anxiously.   
  
"I…I got…I-n." Her voice cracked as she formed a smile. "And school starts in 3 weeks."  
  
Mimi's mother runs up to hug her daughter. "Oh my G-d Mimi! That's wonderful!"  
  
"Congratulations princess!"   
  
Tears of joy start to form down Mimi's cheeks. "Mom! That means I…"  
  
Mimi's mother smiles that knowingly motherly smile ****I hate those! XD**** . "Maaatt…" Mimi just nods as she embraces her tighter.  
  
Her dad chuckles. "I'm so proud of you."   
  
"Mom…I want to book a flight as soon as I can." Mimi releases from the embrace and looks her mother in the eye. "I want to get started on things as soon as humanly possible." She states utmostly determined,  
  
Her mother's face looks more somber. "H-Honey…are you sure?"   
  
Mimi nods and takes her mothers hands. "I've grown a lot since I was 11." She giggles. "I can take care and fend for myself now. You don't have to worry about me…I'll be thinking of you and of coarse I'll visit!"  
  
Mimi's dad nods and stands up, hugging his daughter. "If that's what my Mimi wants…it's what she'll get. I'll call the airlines before I leave for work today."  
  
Mimi nods rapidly and thanks her parents. She runs upstairs again to her pink room. Slamming the door shut behind her, she picks up Matt's letter, and the phone. Dialing his number she waits for it to ring, hoping that T.K picked it up.  
  
"Hello?"   
  
"T.K! Score! I'd recognize your voice anywhere."   
  
"Umm…who is this?"   
  
"Honey, it's Mimi."   
  
"Mimi!"   
  
"T.K!" Mimi laughs and shakes her head.  
  
"W-w…wow! Mimi! It's been a while!"   
  
"It has…"   
  
"Did you want to talk to Matt?"   
  
"More than anything. But listen, T.K…I'm coming to Japan for college."   
  
T.k gasps. "Mimi, that's great!"  
  
"No doubt that it is great…But I want to surprise Matt. Let everybody in on it…I'll call you later with more details."   
  
T.k laughs. "That's such a wonderful idea!"   
  
"Isn't it?" Mimi giggles  
  
"Matt is going to be so happy to see you…"   
  
"I hope so…"  
  
"Don't worry Mimi…I know he will."   
  
Mimi giggles. "Thanks T.K."  
  
"Anytime." He pauses. "How have you been? It's been a while!"   
  
"Good… Busy but good. I got a job as a waitress to hold me over until I can get down there to the fashion institute."   
  
"That's great! Matt's actually in a band now!"   
  
"Really?"   
  
"Really. They're called 'The Teenage Wolves.' and it's truly lyrics that Matt wrote himself, from the heart."   
  
"Aw…yama! Is he going to college too?"   
  
"Actually…yes. He's studying to be a corrections officer."  
  
"That's so cool!" Mimi gasps. She couldn't believe it. Her dad was a police officer. "My dad catches the criminals and Matt lectures them!"   
  
T.K laughs whole-heartedly. "Good way to put it. You're dad's still a police officer I see."   
  
"Yeah…"   
  
There was silence between the two for about 10 seconds.  
  
"T.K?" Mimi finally asks.  
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"You speak a lot and highly of Matt."   
  
"I know…" He states shyly.  
  
"T.K?" Mimi hears Matt's voice faintly in the background. Mimi's heart skips a beat. It's been so long since she's heard that voice.  
  
"Yeah Matt?"  
  
"Wrap it up on the phone. Tai wants to go out for ice cream!"  
  
"Okay Matt!" He speaks back into the phone. "Sorry about that Mimi. Matt was on his cell phone with Tai."   
  
"Hey…don't worry about it…I'll call you tomorrow when I find out when I'm flying there. Please just talk to Tai about picking me up from the airport."   
  
"Of coarse Mimi. I'll talk to you then...Oh…and Mimi?"   
  
"Yeah T.K?"  
  
  
  
"I'm glad we can still talk like this…it was great to hear from you."   
  
A huge smile escaped from her lips. "It was good to hear from you too, T.K."  
  
"I'll talk to you tomorrow."   
  
"Alright then…see ya t.k."   
  
"Peace cheech!" Were his last words before hanging up the phone.   
  
After standing up for the whole conversation, Mimi lets herself fall to the bed, Bursting out in hysterical laughter. She remembered the day when Matt was trying to act 'gangsta' on the school radio show. He ended it with "Peace cheech!" and ever since then, Matt's never lived it down. She sighs, smiling uncontrollably. It wasn't going to be too long until she got to see Matt again.  
  
---  
  
So what do you guys think? Should I continue? I'm shooting for at least one review per chapter. :-/ I'm thinking that the plot is just going to be getting Mimi and Matt together as a couple, then branch on other stories. I have a lot in mind but I have to get through this first.   
  
T.B.C… 


	4. Chapter four

Here goes. ;)   
  
Remember…please suggest couplings that maybe I can fit in here one way or another. I want to make this as enjoyable for you guys as possible.  
  
I changed the story title and the summary to be more appropriate. Sorry…that was the last change I promise ^^:   
  
---  
  
b iTime Of My Life…/b   
  
Chapter 4; It's Not What It Seems!  
  
/i  
  
By: Lavender Passion.   
  
---  
  
Matt slowly appears at the doorway of T.K's room, just in time to see T.K hang up the phone, but too late to hear anything else. He quirks a brow. "Who was that, Teeks?" He asks gently.  
  
"Um…Yolei. She wanted to know what page the math homework was on." T.K said, looking to the Math text on his desk. Matt nods.  
  
"Alright then. Hurry up Bro…they wanna leave."  
  
"I'll be there in a second."  
  
With that, Matt walks out of the room. T.K smiles. His brother had always pulled through for him, now this was his chance to pull through for his brother. A bunch of thoughts ran through the young blonde's mind as he grabbed his jacket from the hanger on the door.   
  
'Hm…' He thought. 'I wonder if anything will probably happen between those two.' T.K begins to search his desk drawer for his house key, just in case Matt lost his again. 'It's so hard to read Matt's feelings now-a-days…He's more compassionate toward people in general. Before Mimi left he would be cold to everyone but Kari, Tai, Mimi, and I. So how am I supposed to know if he cares about her more than a friend?' He asks himself. Closing the door, he was startled as he turns around to meet Cerulean pools of blue that matched his own. "Ah! …Jesus Matt…"  
  
"Sorry…you ready?"  
  
T.K gave a simple nod and closed the door to his room.  
  
---  
  
Meanwhile;   
  
Kari Kamiya ran quickly into the room of her brother, pouncing on him. "Taaaaichii!!!" She  
  
whines. Tai falls back onto his bed and catches her in his arms.   
  
"Whaaat Kaaari?"   
  
"When are they going to be here?"   
  
Tai just sweat dropped at the 15 year old. "Kari…I just called him." It'd been 5 years since Mimi left, and Matt and T.K weren't the only ones that did some growing up. Tai was less quick to have a temper with Matt, but probably for the sole reason that Matt wasn't so defensive anymore. Though Tai and Kari still had both of their parents, and very loving ones at that, he tried to help Matt in any way possible. In some ways Matt'd rub off on Tai, causing the brunette to have more self confidence and respect. He was the only one that knew a lot of things about Matt…  
  
For example, Tai was the only one that knew that the last words to Matt from his mother were a simple, "Thank you my son…". And that's what caused all the ice to melt off Yamato's heart. It made Tai not only proud of his best friend, but closer. Being closer to Matt, helped him realize that there was more to life than soccer, and that he had it pretty damned easy. Sympathy for Matt grew, as Matt was forced to grow up faster than he was supposed to. And Tai finally had somebody to look up to as a best friend. You name it, Matt's probably been through it.   
  
Kari just stared at her brother for a minute, seeing him lost in thought. She frowns. "Taichi…cheer up." She gets up off of Tai, and offers a hand to help him up. He just shakes his head and she pulls her hand away.  
  
"Don't feel like moving…"  
  
Kari lets out an antagonizing sigh, closing her eyes to avoid her brothers helpless look. He lays his head back on the carpet, folding his hands over his stomach. Kari finally says something.  
  
"…Tai?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"You're worse than a woman with PMS."   
  
Tai picks his head right up and shoots her a glare. "Hey! That's not very nice!"  
  
"Honestly! What man do you know that just sits around feeling sorry for his best friend? Matt's a big boy." Kari kneels down to put a hand on his shoulder. He sits up, Indian style. "He can take care of himself."  
  
"Kari…I can't help it…I'm not feeling sorry for him…I'm actually feeling what he feels." Kari quirks a brow. "-and it's weird…whenever Matt's hurting inside I feel it…almost as if I were empathetic…"  
  
Kari jerks back a little. "Y-you're not serious right?"   
  
"I'm 100 percent serious." Tai sighs. He pauses to think again. It had been a normal day and Kari and Tai were taking a walk in the park. All of a sudden Tai felt a jolt of pain from his heart, all along his arm to his wrist. Later that night, Matt had showed up at his door, hysterically crying. They'd taken T.K away from him temporarily, and his parents got into an accident that they didn't survive. It was ever since that day, a force has connected Tai's emotions to Matt.   
  
"T-Tai…does anybody know?"   
  
Tai shook his head. "Matt would worry too much now-a-days…and Mimi…" His eyes turn somber. He quickly changes the subject of her. "-It's kind of scary…I don't know what's causing this…" He shuts his eyes tight.   
  
"How long has this been going on?"   
  
"Since that day in the park…the day that Matt found out his parents died…"  
  
Kari gasps. She opens her mouth to speak. "So that's why you-"   
  
"Please don't tell anybody Kari." He cuts her off.  
  
"B-But, Tai…the doctors said that you could have died that day!" Tai glares at her. She gives in a sigh of reluctant loss. "Alright Tai, but if anything happens…I'm saying something."  
  
Kari was still the same caring person as she'd always been. Hearing T.K talk so highly of Matt, made her realize all over again that she was lucky enough to have a brother that was willing to do the same for her too, though she knew that day would probably never have to come. Kari swallows hard as Tai looks her in the eye. Muttering a slightly inaudible "Thanks.." Tai gets up off of the floor, leaving a hurt-looking Kari behind. She shakes her head.  
  
"You're still stubborn!"  
  
Upon hearing this, Tai looks back at her. He was about to say something when he hears the doorbell ring. It slightly scares him but remembered it was just Matt. Letting out a sigh of relief, he goes and opens the door. Sure enough he sees Matt standing there with T.K by his side. He was twirling his car keys around his finger.   
  
"Hey Man." He greets with his usual smile. Taichi couldn't help but give a toothy grin.  
  
"Hey Yammers!"  
  
Matt's smile immediately faded. Matt opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, Tai walked right past him with Kari following. She closes the door behind them. Giggling at her brothers nickname, she curtsies jokingly to T.K.  
  
Matt shakes his head, opening his mouth again. Tai cuts him off once more.   
  
"So where are we goin'?"  
  
"The Frigate." Yamato said, suddenly grinning uncontrollably.  
  
"Ah! Too much flavor choices, there."   
  
"Not a bad thing!"  
  
They both laugh simultaneously. They wait for Kari to finish locking the door, and start down the stairs of the apartment building. Which wasn't too long of a walk because it was only 3 small flights.   
  
Kari rolls her eyes playfully. T.K grabs her by the arm, gently, pulling her behind their brothers.  
  
"Kari.." he whispers. "I need you to do me a favor."   
  
Kari relaxes her tense muscles and smiles. "Anything T.K, what can I do for you?"  
  
"Tell Tai that I need him to pick Mimi up from the airport. - I'll call him with the details later and-" He whispered extra-low. He notices Kari's eyes widen. She looked like she was about to scream at the top of her lungs in excitement. T.K quickly covers the young girls mouth.  
  
"Shh!" He lectures, pointing his free finger at her. "Mimi wants to surprise Matt."  
  
Kari, relaxing once again. "I-Mimi…when did you-!?" She lowers her voice.  
  
Tai cocks a brow, looking back at the two, giving T.K no time to answer her. "What are you guys whispering over there?"  
  
They reach the bottom of the steps to go out the door and approach Matt's Cerulean Blue convertible. He unlocks the doors.  
  
"Who knows?" Matt starts, clearing out the backseat for Kari to sit in. "Leave the lovebirds to looove."  
  
T.K smiles uncontrollably. Usually he would be blushing at this sort of thing, but just wait until Matt was the one that needed to blush when he sees Mimi!  
  
Tai looks at Matt disbelievingly. "Uh ah! She ain't lovin' nothin'! She's only 15!" Matt just laughs deviously. He almost looked Triumphant and confident that Tai's protectiveness was caused by Matt.  
  
"Taaichi!" Kari shakes her head.  
  
"We're friends!" They both said at the same time.  
  
"And that's all we'll ever be." T.K finishes.  
  
"Sure…whatever squirts. Hop in the car!" Matt said, putting the car seat all the way up, making way for the two younger teens. Once T.K is in, he pushes the seat back again and gets in it. Kari gets in Tai's side, and Tai does the same.  
  
"Okay boys and girls…" Matt starts, acting as if he were a pilot. "This is your driver speaking! Keep your hands and arms inside the car at all times and-"  
  
"Okay, Okay Yama! I want ice cream!" T.K whines.   
  
Yamato just pulls his seatbelt over his body and fastens it. "Holy Sh'mangos! I'm gettin' there!" He starts driving the car down the road to the Ice Cream Parlor.  
  
"Sh'mangos?" Tai looks to Matt, while his hands reach in the glove box to take out Matt's C.D binder.  
  
Matt just sits back and drives.  
  
T.K rolls his eyes. "Tai, you should know Matt doesn't curse by now."  
  
Kari leans over the seat to watch her brother flip through the C.D's. There's a moment of silence in the car, Tai silently flips through the C.D's. Kari couldn't help but think about seeing Mimi again. She suddenly spots an entirely pink C.D in the binder, and it snaps her out of her thoughts. "Tai…go back one."   
  
"Back?" Tai looks at his sister as he flips back. She pulls out the all-pink C.D.  
  
"Pink C.D?"  
  
Kari leans back and reads the label. Matt see's this through the rear-view but doesn't take his eyes off the road, casually.   
  
"Yama-Senpai…" Kari reads off the C.D. She gives a questioning glance to T.K.   
  
T.K more than willingly explains. He was the only one that saw the C.D so far and it was made specially to Matt from Mimi. "It's a disk that Mimi made Matt." He looks to Matt. "She gave it to him right before she left. She sings the Lyrics herself!" Matt lets out a sigh. "Why don't you play it for them bro?"  
  
Not giving Matt time to answer, Tai takes the C.D out of T.K's hands. "Come on Matt…you can trust us." He says to his best friends uneasy face. Matt seemed to relax at Tai's words as the brunette popped the disk into the player. The slow beat music started and a tear slowly drips down Matt's somber face. Mimi's voice came out of the speakers soon after.  
  
iWhen I think of what I've been through  
  
I can see that you've always been there for me  
  
To tell the truth. Don't know what I'd do  
  
Without you half of my dreams would not come true  
  
/i  
  
Tai listens the sweet sound of Mimi's voice. In the song you could really tell that she was pouring her heart out to Matt.  
  
iYou are the one that I have hoped for,   
  
Now my life, means so much more  
  
Now we can be together forever  
  
Just you and me  
  
Here for you…You here for me  
  
/i  
  
Matt lets a few more tears fall, remembering Mimi. They used to sing together all the time. Weather it be a duet for Chorus, or in her garage in their free time…they sung with their hearts and no matter what, it was always for each other somehow. He missed the times…and to think that they might never be shared again, brought a reluctant look to his eyes.  
  
iIt was you who showed me I got a friend in you. I always knew that you'd be right here for me. And it was you who stood with me when the skies are blue. And it was you who stood by my side. It was you./i  
  
T.K couldn't take the smile of his face. Though he felt guilty that Matt had no clue, he couldn't help but think about the bigger picture when the two friends would finally be joint at the hip once again. And that was something he was sure of. He'd always admired Matt and Mimi's friendship.   
  
i  
  
Since the day you came in my life I knew then that you'd be someone right by my side. Then you prove you're a friend to me. With my heart forever you will always be.  
  
You are the one that I have hoped for. Now my life means so much more Now we can be together forever. Just you and me there for each other/i  
  
Kari sighs dreamily. She had a sweetheart of her own that this song made her remember. Wallice. The sweet gentle blond wasn't that often on her mind, but it was times like this when she wanted him to visit.  
  
iIt was you who's always right by my side. I just can't do it; you helped me through it. We're friends forever, like best friends should be. You'll always be a special part of me.  
  
It was you who showed me I got a friend in you. I always knew that you'd be right here for me And it was you who stood with me when the skies are blue. And it was you who stood by my side. It was you  
  
It was you showed me all I've got and I always knew that you'd be right there. And it was you stood by feeling skies were blue. And it was you I knew that I could count on.   
  
It was you who showed me I got a friend in you. I always knew that you'd be right here for me. And it was you who stood with me when the skies are blue. And it was you who stood by my side. It was you.   
  
You are a friend to me, it was you. /i  
  
The song ended and Matt parked the car. To his advantage it didn't give anybody enough time to comment. He wasn't in a mood to hear. 'Awe's.' Everybody to his surprise, kept silent. He ejected the C.D out of the player and took the case from Tai. He put the vibrant disk back into the slot. Opening the car door, he notices everybody had sympathetic eyes staring at him in awe. "Let's go guys…" He whispers soft but loud enough so the others can hear. He walks to the door of the ice cream parlor, trusting that the others were right behind them.  
  
Kari, Tai, and T.K get out of the car. Letting Tai walk ahead of them, they exchange glances, smiling once more.  
  
"Matt is going to love this, T.K!"   
  
"I know."   
  
---  
  
The song was Ashley Ballard & So Plush; It Was You. It's a wonderful song about two friends and it's very well done ^_^ 


	5. Chapter five

Thank you all that have been so supportive. ^_^  
  
Disclaimer: This old man…he played two! I no own so you no sue! *haha…that was like, spur of the moment!*  
  
Summary: *a little tease* Yes, in this chapter Mimi will probably arrive. I'm sorry for the wait and if this is boring you. Mimi returns to Japan. Matt falls in love with her and this time he's sure it's more than friendly. But, he thinks that she deserves better and tries to avoid any relationship conversations.  
  
Time difference information provided by Worldtimeserver.com *Because I noticed how unrealistic some fics were on time difference from Japan to America :-/ *   
  
On with the fic ^_^  
  
- - -   
  
Mimi got dressed that morning and went out on the balcony of her room with a cup of raspberry tea in her hand. She held the hot beverage with her shirt sleeves cupped around her hands to keep warm. A smile was permanently implanted on her lips as she recalled all of the wonderful times in Japan and what it would be like when she returned. Talking to T.K again, and hearing Matt's voice in the background was just too good to be true. It reminded her of the small stupid things. Like when T.K was little, Matt was always the one that kept him out of trouble. Ever since they were younger, there wasn't a time when she talked on the phone with Matt that she didn't hear T.K screaming for his brother in the background.   
  
Mimi sighed happily and looked at her watch. It was 9:00 A.M 'Hm…It's 8 p.m there.' She leans both of her elbows on the rail. 'I wonder what they're doing now.' She gazed off to her huge front lawn. She was about two stories up. There wasn't a single dead strand of grass in her yard. '…without me…' she thought sadly. Thoughts of daily gatherings flowed to her mind. Evenings in the park, going to the movies, out to dinner, and even times when her and Matt would go to the ice cream parlor to talk about what was on either of their minds. Watermelon Sherbet was the first thing she thought of after the ice cream parlor. Matt's favorite flavor. And she more than distinctively remembered it.  
  
She sipped her tea and then sighed. A puff of mist formed with her breath in the cold fall air. She shivered as the wind toyed with her hair gently. She turned on her heel, back into her heated room.  
  
And it was just in time to hear the doorbell ring. Lifting a brow, she put her cup down on her computer desk, and went downstairs.  
  
She heard her mother having a conversation with a familiar voice. Her friend Michael.  
  
"Hello Michael!" Her mother happily exclaimed. Mimi giggled as soon as she heard her name. She lingered on the stairwell for a while before showing herself so she can listen to their conversation.  
  
"Hey Mrs. Tachikawa."  
  
"What brings you here?"  
  
"I wanted to talk to Mimi about something, actually." He said politely.  
  
"Mimi's up in her room!"  
  
Michael laughs and nods. "Thank you!" He said before Mrs. Tachikawa gave an acknowledging nod. Mimi decided to run to him after her mother turned and left into the kitchen again.   
  
"Hey Michael." She held out her arms and greeted him the same way she greeted all of her friends. With a hug.  
  
"Hey Meems." Mimi winced. Since when did Michael call her that? Matt was the only one she ever let call her Meems. Shaking it off she turns to him and smiles. "My…we're looking lovely today as usual." Michael commented, glancing from her black boots to her casual black dress pants, to her pink 'Cheer Bear' sweater.  
  
Mimi rolled her eyes. She was used to this by now with him. "Oh please. I took a shower and threw together an outfit to keep warm. It's not that great." She said, turning to her room. Michael instinctively followed her upstairs.  
  
"Whatever you say Mimi." He sighs.  
  
She reaches the top of the stairs and pushes the door open to her room. "So…what brings you here?" She asks sitting on her office chair. Michael takes a seat on her bed. He ran his hand coolly through his light blond hair. Not nervously, but smiling his usual smile.  
  
"I got accepted into John Jay." He flashed her a toothy grin.  
  
Mimi beamed with excitement. "I'm so happy for you! Congratulations!"  
  
Michael laughed. "So now I can actually be close to you when I go away to school!"  
  
Mimi frowned immediately. John Jay college was a New York college for Criminal Justice majoring and it was only a half hour away. How in the world would she tell him that she was going back to Japan for college?  
  
"Michael.."  
  
Michael saw her somber face and gave her a concerned look. "Mimi? What's wrong? Didn't you want me to-"   
  
Mimi gasps. "No! Michael…you have the wrong idea…it's just…" She sighs. She rolls her chair over to her desk, noticing she still sat her mug there. Ignoring it, she opened the drawer and pulled out the acceptance letter. She handed it to him. "Here." They exchange glances as he stiffens the hand with the envelope in it. Mimi shifted her position uncomfortably. "W-well…" She stuttered. "-o..open I-it…" Swallowing hard, she watched Michael take his eyes off her to take the letter out of the envelope. He takes a moment to read it. This was ridiculous! She should be happy! He should be happy that she finally gets the college major she always wanted!  
  
"The Fashion institute! …of Japan!?" He exclaims looking up to her. "Mimi! That means you're going back!" Mimi nods. "I…I…don't know what to say…" He stares at her with widened eyes for a second. She sighs uncontentedly…but then her face straightens out. To one that seemed angry. Michael was her very first friend when she'd moved to America. Why wasn't he happy for her? It wasn't like him to show no emotion at a time like this.   
  
"Well, you can start by saying 'Gee Mimi…I'm happy for you!'" Mimi spat.   
  
Michael gasped. "Mimi! It's not that I'm not happy for you…it's just…I'll miss you…"   
  
Mimi's facial expression softens as her muscles relax. "I'll miss you too Michael…but I'll see you again."   
  
Michael shakes his head. "It's not that…it's just…"   
  
He pauses. Mimi attentively eyes his every nervous action. He started to fidget, unable to look her in the eye. Then by surprise, he gently took her hand. "I-I…guess I'll miss you more than I'm supposed to."   
  
Mimi didn't know weather to blush and smile or to cry. Michael had liked her? Is that what he meant? "Yes…Mimi Tachikawa…I'm falling in lo-…"  
  
"But for heavens sake Michael…" She jerks her hand back. "Don't use that word! You're only 17 years old." She says as sympathetic as she could. Her mother would have loved it if Michael were her boyfriend. She didn't like him like that. But if he'd said this about 5 months ago she would have begged to differ.  
  
Michael sighs. "I know…I just guess I had to tell you before you left…"   
  
Mimi smiles and gives him a small hug. Withdrawing, she keeps her hands on his shoulders. "We'll definitely keep in touch, right?" Michael nods. Mimi smiles again.  
  
"Right! That's M'boy."  
  
"If this is what you really want I'll support you."  
  
Mimi's eyes wander to the picture beside her dresser again. It was the only picture she had. "Of coarse it's what I want…"  
  
Michael follows her gaze. "Ah…I see."   
  
She sighs. Then remembers what college he was going to. "Oh wow Michael! That means you're going to finally major in Forensics?"   
  
Michael nods. "And you're going to design cloths?"  
  
Mimi mockingly nods back. "Yup."  
  
"Silly girl." Michael says as he throws a pillow at her. She catches it and winks.   
  
"Oooh…you wouldn't have it any other way." Mimi's thoughts are most guiltily in another place. 'I wonder what Matt's doing…'  
  
- - - -   
  
Matt yawns and looks at his watch. It was 8:30 and he was tired. He sat in the booth of the ice cream parlor with his nose in one of his school books once again. He was reading a book about The Theory of Criminology. He awaited at the table for T.K, Tai, and Kari to go get ice cream. They'd all insisted on letting Matt review for his test tomorrow. Why it took 3 people to get ice cream was beyond him. But he wasn't complaining. He needed study time.  
  
Side-tracked he looked out the window. A certain spot on the street caught his eye. It was the very bench that he'd caught Mimi crying under the day she found out she was moving.  
  
~*Flashback*~  
  
Mimi sat in the breezy night, thinking about things. Matt'd walked up to her and sat beside her, not giving her time to protest.  
  
"Hey…you shouldn't cry like that…"  
  
Mimi looked up at him with her tear-stained cheeks. "Yeah I know…my mascara is running." He took the bottom of his sleeve and wiped a bit of the black off from under her eyes. It surprised Mimi a little. "Silly…" She said somberly. "Now look at your sleeve."  
  
"It's a small price to pay." He gives her his warmest smile. "Ya know…you shouldn't wear that stuff. You're naturally beautiful."  
  
Mimi couldn't help but return the smile as her cheeks got hot and red with blush. "Thank you Matt…" Her eyes wearily looked at him.  
  
"Don't thank me…I just wonder why you're so down in the dumps."  
  
"Yama…my dad got promoted. We're moving to the United States…"   
  
Yamato jumps back a little. His eyes widen and he looks at her with disbelief. The two just sat in a comfortable silence. He didn't know what to say.  
  
"C-come on…" He stumbles for words after about 5 minutes. "I'll walk you home."   
  
"I'd like that…" She smiles as sincerely as she could at that moment in time. The both of them got up. Matt's hand snuck hesitantly to Mimi's and for the first time, they held hands.  
  
~*End Flashback*~   
  
Matt shook the memory out of his head. 'It's over now Matt…Mimi's gone and you need to pass this test tomorrow.' He encouraged himself in his head. It was the only way he could get his mind off of everything. His thoughts were interrupted by Kari returning to the table. Though, Tai and T.K were back getting their ice cream, she knew that T.K was telling about Mimi's future arrival. But she tried her best to keep Matt from the counter.  
  
"The Theory of Criminology?" She asks. Matt looks up and nods. "What's the Theory of Criminology?"   
  
Matt laughs at the girl. "As their starting point, instead of asking what drives people to commit crime, The Theory of Criminology asks why do most people not commit crime."   
  
Kari cocks a brow. Criminology wasn't as boring as she thought. "That's a change."   
  
"Yes it is. And results are more accurate that way. Sometimes they even believe that the need to commit a crime is in their genes."  
  
All of a sudden a cup of Watermelon Sherbet was placed in the space between the book and his face. He looked up to see T.K, who'd placed it there and Tai who was smiling uncontrollably. Kari, knowing why, just laughed.   
  
"Dude, why are you grinning like an idiot?"   
  
"No reason…I uh-was just thinking how you're going to totally bomb that test tomorrow."   
  
T.K sweat dropped. That was the single most stupid cover-up he'd ever heard. Tai took a seat next to Kari as did T.K next to Matt. They all had a long conversation about any random thing. Matt' s mind was off into his study's and Mimi. All T.K could think was; "Mission accomplished." He whispered to himself.  
  
- - - -   
  
Mimi and Michael were sitting on the bed listening to music. Michael sighs. Mimi looks up to him from reading the cover of the latest 'Teenage Wolves' album. "What's wrong, hun?"  
  
He shakes his head. "I'm just going to miss you."  
  
Mimi's eyes couldn't be sad. Though she was disappointed about leaving her family and Michael, she was way too excited to be seeing Matt.  
  
"Oh…I'll miss you too…but it's not even definite that I'm going yet." She lied, knowing that even if her father couldn't book a ticket, she'd find away. She didn't apply to that college for nothing.  
  
Suddenly they hear a knock on the door. "Come in!" Mimi calls, lowering the volume of her speaker system. Her father walks in the door.   
  
"Hey precious." He says sadly.  
  
Michael catches his somber expression.  
  
"Yes daddy?"   
  
"Pack your bags." He forges a smile. "You're going to Japan for college tomorrow night."  
  
Mimi gasps. She runs to her father and throws her arms around his neck. Brightly she kisses his cheek. "Oh! Thank you so much daddy!"  
  
"…no problem princess…" He pulls away from the embrace and puts his hands on Mimi's shoulders. Michael wiped a quick tear from his eye before Mimi could see it.  
  
"Congratulations Mi-Chan."  
  
She turns to Michael. "Thank you Michael."  
  
Michael gives his most sincere smile.  
  
"I promise you guys…this won't be forever."   
  
Mimi's dad cocks a brow and puts his hands on his hips playfully. "Well I should hope not."  
  
Mimi giggles and goes to her closet. She pulls a gigantic empty suitcase out of it. Then another smaller case and a carry-on bag. She'd used all of them and more in her move to America.  
  
Winking, she said, "I'm not going to be needing that much, right?"  
  
Michael puts his elbows on his knees and rests his head in his hands. He rolls his eyes. "Some things just never change." She shoots him a glare. "Mimi…not that much to you is like a thousand times less for me." Mimi just points her nose up in the air, attempting to act mad. She fails miserably though.  
  
Her dad turns to walk out of the room. "I better tell your mother."  
  
Mimi grins and nods. She proceeds to pile cloths on her desk that she might be taking to Japan. Michael just puts his hands behind his head and relaxes. 'Unbelievable.' He says to himself.  
  
Mimi looks at her watch. "I better call Tai and Kari before they go to bed."  
  
- - -  
  
Meanwhile in Japan, Matt, Tai, Kari, and T.K entered the Yagami apartment once again. Tai flicked on the lights. "Hm…" Concluding that his parents weren't home yet he went to check the messages. "I'll call my mom's cell to see if you guys can sleep over."   
  
T.K beamed while   
  
Matt guiltily looked at Tai. He hated to spoil T.K's hopes like he did. "Taichi…I have school in the morning."   
  
Tai shrugged. "It wouldn't be a problem…you have a test right?" Matt nodded. "Then you won't need any books."  
  
"I'm not going to wake everybody in the household to go to school for an hour and a half. T.K can sleep over if he wants." T.K frowned. Matt knew how much he loved it when the four of them spent time together.  
  
Kari rolls her eyes and slips off her shoes. "Oh stop it Matt…you overwork yourself too much and you need a break. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind."  
  
"I have to get up with you anyway. I have soccer practice anyway, man."  
  
Matt looked as if he were consider it. But right when he opened his mouth to protest, Tai pressed play on the answering machine and it interrupted his train of thought.  
  
Beeep! You have one new message.   
  
"Hey Tai it's mom…I guess you went out with Matt and T.K again…before you even ask…yes they can spend the night. I just called to say I'll be home later than usual so don't expect me at my normal time. Love you! Talk to you later."  
  
Tai grinned uncontrollably. "See? She even knew before we asked!"  
  
Matt laughed. "T.K…what do you want to do?"  
  
"I wanna stay here!" He exclaimed as he playfully clung to Tai's right arm. Matt nods. And Tai gives off a sheepishly cocky grin.  
  
"I guess we're staying. You're lucky tomorrow's Saturday, squirt."  
  
T.K rolled his eyes. He let got of Tai's arm along with Matt's old nickname. Some things you just couldn't protest with anymore.   
  
The four silently went separate ways in the apartment. Kari went into her room, and Matt and T.K grabbed the remote and sat on the couch. Tai went into the kitchen.  
  
"Angel's on tonight! You guys want popcorn or something so we can watch it?"  
  
"Tai, we just had ice cream."  
  
Tai came back into the living room with a bag of chips, taking a seat in between the two brothers. Matt just put his elbow on the arm rest and rubbed his head.  
  
"Actually I think I'm going to skip Angel tonight…"  
  
Tai and T.K gaped at Matt. "Onii-san…that's not like you to miss that show."  
  
Matt shook his head. "The test tomorrow…It's just a big part of my grade."  
  
T.K nodded. "Okay…hey! We'll record it for you if you want!"  
  
"Thanks Teeks." He gets up and ruffles his brother's hair. T.K was just grateful Matt could stay over.  
  
Tai gave Matt a look that plainly said, 'Whatever,' "It's your loss man!" He said, stuffing his mouth with chips. "Go see Kari about blankets for the night, kay?"  
  
"Alright…see ya in the morning dude." He goes over and brushes the hair from Takeru's forehead clearing way so he can plant a kiss there. "Goodnight bro."  
  
"Goodnight Yamato…sleep tight!" Matt turns to go into Tai and Kari's room and T.K calls after him; "Don't let the bedbugs bite and all that jazz!"   
  
With a chuckle, Matt walks down the hallway.  
  
As if on cue, the phone rings. With an arched brow Tai dumbfounded stares at it. T.K frustrated stares at him. "…it rings because it wants you to answer it."  
  
Tai shook his head back into reality. "Oh! Right!" He goes over and picks up the phone. "Hello? …Mimi? Yes! It has been a while! How are things going? … good … good! … It's ironic that you would call because Matt and T.K are here right now…" T.K perked up and listened to the conversation, trying to pick up details.  
  
"-No Matt's gone to bed. Something's seriously up with him. Yes T.K told me and hopefully you being here will change his dull attitude- - Yeah…Tomorrow evening? Alright! We'll meet up and reminisce when I pick you up then! That's great! I'll see you at the airport then! Bye!" He hung up the phone enthusiastically.  
  
"Well?" T.K asked.  
  
"She's arriving tomorrow evening. Operation 'Make-Matt-Happy' is underway!" He held up his hand and T.K met it with a high five.  
  
----  
  
Matt goes into Kari's room, seeing as it's open. She was already in her pajamas and making her bed. "Hey."  
  
"Hey Kari…"  
  
"In for the night?"  
  
"Yeah…Test…" was all he can blurt out. He removed his shirt, revealing his sleek but still muscled chest. He took his pants off to reveal boxers and stole one of Tai's shirts out of the drawer. He'd been there so many times that he knew the whole place like he knew his own. "Really." Kari asks suspiciously. "No 'Angel' tonight?"   
  
Matt gives a mock-reluctant sigh. "Will everybody stop making such a big deal out of me missing a dumb T.V show?"   
  
"Dumb T.V show? Matt you haven't missed an episode since the beginning of the series."  
  
Matt just coldly ignored her.  
  
"You need blankets?" She asked, fighting the urge to add the word idiot to the sentence.  
  
"Yes…please." He ran his hand coolly through his blond hair. Kari made her way to the linen closet in their room.  
  
"What's the matter, Yamato?" She asked as if it were a fact he'd told her himself. Though she didn't ask, she didn't have to. Matt's cold side was coming out and it wasn't because of a criminology test that he was so obviously confident about passing.  
  
"N-nothing…why ask?" Matt lied.   
  
"Because nothing…and I mean nothing…in this world can make you miss 'Angel'. Unless of coarse there is something you aren't telling us." She pulls some blankets out of the closet and hands them to Matt. He hung his head slightly. He couldn't tell her that he was this bleak over a girl. "Come on Matt…you can tell me anything." She was right. He perks his head up and looks at her in the eye, catching one of her concerned 'Kari' looks. She wouldn't think any less of him.  
  
"I guess so…It's just…when I was sitting in the ice cream parlor waiting for you guys, I had my head in the clouds. That's all…" He began to lay out the blankets on the floor for his and his brother's bed.  
  
"Oh come on…aren't you going to tell me why?" She asks attentively.  
  
"You're a persistent little thing." He alleged.  
  
"Yup."  
  
He shakes his head. "The memories of Mimi just came back to me that's all…"   
  
Kari sat down on her bed. "Memories?"  
  
"Yes…Memories."  
  
She throws him two pillows just as he finishes. He placed one on his side, then one on T.K's. "Why are they Memories?"  
  
"What?" He asks as if he misunderstood.  
  
"You heard me. Why are they just memories? Mimi's not gone for good."  
  
Matt didn't want to hear anymore. He just wanted to go to sleep so the pain would stop. He just lays on the 'bed' he'd made for himself on the floor and rested on his side. His back turned to her. "Goodnight Kari." He said aggressively  
  
brushing her off and tucking his hands beneath his head.  
  
Kari sighed. "You're stubborn…you know that?"  
  
Matt was just quiet.  
  
"She'd be real proud of you Matt." She turns off the lights from her place on the bottom bunk. "Good night."  
  
"Good night Kari…" He whispered. He felt bad…but it just hurt so much. 'Why you, Mimi?' He thought to himself as he gazed up out the window to the stars. 


	6. Chapter six

- - -   
  
Tada! Mimi arrives in this chappy ^_^- Enjoy! And please---I worked hard on this...give me some constructive critisism? And I'll bring you some worthwhile fics I promise you.   
  
- - -   
  
Back in America, Mimi was bright eyed a bushy tailed. She was running around the house trying to gather, C.Ds and things she might need for the 'trip.' Her dad watched in amazement as his daughter gathered her things.  
  
"Mimi…slow down, you have until tomorrow!"   
  
Mimi turns around and glares at her father. Her father puts his hands up in defeat. Mimi laughs and runs up the stairs. He shakes his head.  
  
"That girl…"  
  
Mimi approaches her room and forces the door open. She plops down on her bed with a grin. She looks at her clock and instantly frowns. It was only 12:00 and she had until 4:30 the next day. She just finished all her packing and now lay in her near-empty room. ::Plus the furniture of coarse. She can't take that with her ;):: She sighs and puts her head, face first into the pillow. She sits up and thinks.   
  
'I should really be downstairs with my parents for the day I have left…I'm really going to miss it here.' She admires around her big room and looks out to the grassy front yard. She spots her kitten, Sunshine, sleeping on the porch. 'I guess it's back to ol' busy Japan…' She sighs. 'A tiny apartment…just barely making a living as a college student…' She shakes her head. "Yeah right…Mimi will manage! She always does!" Grinning cockily, Mimi gets out of her bed and crosses to the bay-view window. Sitting on the sill, she looks to the empty streets of her town. "Matt wouldn't _let_ me not manage." She rolls her eyes, remembering his protectiveness. With that, Mimi walks out of her room and downstairs where she would spend every minute she could with her parents.  
  
- - -   
  
Matt wakes up to the sun shining through the window. It was a lovely spring morning. Stretching, he looks to the form of his sleeping brother and he couldn't help but smile. "Good morning bro…" he whispers. Kari was still sleeping in her bottom part of the bunk, but Tai however, wasn't there. He curiously got up, to smell food cooking in the kitchen.  
  
'Crap…don't tell me Tai is cooking.' He thought to himself with a groan. He slowly works his way to the kitchen. Yamato saw Tai scooping scrambled eggs neatly out of the pan and onto two plates. Matt pulls up a chair silently and cocks a brow. Tai's attention was only caught at the sound of the chair scraping across the kitchen floor. He turns to his best friend.  
  
"Well well…" Matt smirks. "What's this? Tai remembering Matt's teachings?" Tai turns back to the plates, and picks one up. Taking a piece of toast out of the toaster, he places it on the plate and sets it in front of Matt.  
  
"You shut up…I just thought you might like something to eat for the test!" He   
  
exclaims with a toothy grin.  
  
"Thanks Tai…" He picks up a fork and brings a piece of the omlette to his mouth. "Tasty!" He happily exclaims, taking another bite. "I have taught you well!"   
  
The boys ate breakfast, and Matt carpooled Tai to the soccer field. Then went off to school to take a 2 hour test.. During the test he was frequently caught off guard. Giving him barely enough time to finish. The teacher dismissed his students, and Matt went to the field to watch the rest of the game.   
  
- - -  
  
Kari lay in her bed awake. She'd watched Matt get up and lay lost in thought ever since. She looked to a stirring T.K. "Good morning, Sunshine." Kari said, knowingly.   
  
"'Mornin'…" He said in between yawns.  
  
"Sleep well?"   
  
"Of coarse."   
  
Kari climbs out of the bed and goes to the phone. Her brow cocks. The caller ID read; "Tachikawa, Gary"   
  
"T.k…we got a call from Mimi."   
  
He perks up. "Oh?" He gets out of the bed. "Did she leave a message?"   
  
Kari's face stood blank. "Nope…she didn't. I guess she was afraid that Matt might have heard her on the machine."  
  
T.k stretches and yawns. "I should call her from my cell." She lifts a brow at her best friend.  
  
"Isn't it late there?"  
  
T.k looks at his clock. "Yeah…you're right. It's like 10:30 there." He thought for a minute, then snapped his fingers as if he drew to a conclusion. "That's right! Mimi called last night after you and Matt went to sleep!"  
  
Kari shook her head. "Did she say when she was going to be here?"  
  
T.K nods. "Yup…She said she's leaving tomorrow…which probably means in the morning our time tomorrow…I don't know exactly what time though. I was going to look up the flights today to see for sure."  
  
Kari tilted her head a little to the side, narrowing her eyes. "Tomorrow morning!? Wow…why so soon?"  
  
T.k shrugged. "Guess she's just _that_ excited to see us!"  
  
** for those who are confused, she's scheduled to leave tomorrow night and be there by the late morning in Japan. **   
  
- - -   
  
That evening, Mimi was peacefully taking a nap. Her mother burst in her door.  
  
"Mimi! Princess! Come on or you're going to miss your flight!"  
  
Mimi rolls over groggily "Huh? Oh…hi mommy…"  
  
"Your flight is in 2 hours and we have to be to the airport in an hour. Move it!"   
  
Mimi's eyes widen. As she rolls over, she falls out of bed. "Omph…Ow!" She rubbed her shoulder.   
  
Mimi's mother gives one last "Hurry!" and walks out.   
  
Mimi looks at her clock and sweat drops. It was only 10:30 that night! She thrusts her covers off of herself and storms down the stairs to her parents. "Oh dearest FATHER!" She calls. Her father was downstairs, solemnly sipping a cup of coffee. "Yes Mimi?"   
  
"I thought you said TOMORROW evening!"   
  
Her father puts down the cup and looks his daughter in the eye. "I meant that you arrive THERE tomorrow evening."  
  
"You did NOT tell me that!" She whines, as she quickly runs into the bathroom and slams the door behind her. She turned on the shower.   
  
Mrs. Tachikawa walks up to her husband with her arms crossed. "You didn't tell her she was leaving this evening?" He just sighs.  
  
"I thought I did…" he tried to lie. His wife's expression turned sympathetic. She sat on his knee and put her arms around his neck.   
  
"Oh honey…you think I don't know these things?"   
  
"Know what?"   
  
"You were hoping she would miss her flight and have to stay longer."   
  
"…" She kisses his nose.   
  
"You don't want to let your little girl go…" He shakes his head. "She'll be fine…you just have to trust her! Besides…Matt will be there…" He just glares at his wife. "Oh come on…Matt's a nice boy!"   
  
"Nice!? He's a bad influence."   
  
She puts a finger on his lips.   
  
"He'll take care of her, Gary. And she'll take care of herself."  
  
He just stubbornly turns away.  
  
When Mimi finished her shower, she blow-dried her hair and got dressed in something comfy, though she wasn't diggin' how it looked on her. She straightened her white turtleneck and put on her leather jacket. Mimi slides a pair of sunglasses just above her forehead and straightened out her Khaki Capri's. She opened her jewelry box. She pulled out a necklace. It was the only thing left since she'd packed everything else away. She'd left it purposely, planning to wear it. It was silver with three chains connected to give a layered look. The diamonds in the middle, layered evenly when it hung around her petite neck. She put it on and fingered it gently. Mimi remembered the meaning behind it and smiled. Kari had given it to her to symbolize, Kari, Sora, and Mimi's friendship. The top one was light blue for Sora's favorite color, the middle was baby pink for Mimi's favorite, and the final layer was a light yellow for Kari's favorite. They gave it to her just before she moved. Which led her to the question 'What is Sora doing now? Am I going to see her?'  
  
It was then that her dad came into her room. "Mimi…it's time to leave."  
  
Then it hit her…she wasn't going to see her parents for a long time. "Oh…" She instantly clung into her dads arms, hugging him tight. "Daddy I'm going to miss you…"  
  
"I'm going to miss you too, princess…" He whispered.  
  
**again...that might have been a little sloppy...So Mimi just found out she's leaving tonight and is to be there tomorrow evening, Japan time instead. {I would imagine that would be a long flight ^_^;} **  
  
- - - -   
  
It was the last half of the soccer game. Tai was fiercely dribbling the ball down the field, maneuvering through each and every member of the opposing team. He passed it to one of his team mates who outsmarted the goalie and scored. The crowd was wild and Matt clapped. "Way to go, Taichi!" He screamed. Over time he'd become Tai's second sibling and more than just a best friend. They were close and nothing could tear them apart.  
  
Tai caught Matt's cheer and smiled cockily. Though Matt knew the other boy was just joking, he rolled his eyes.  
  
The clock on the score board went to 0:00. Odaiba had won yet another game.   
  
"And Odaiba wins! Compliments of coach Walsh and the captain and star player; Taichi Kamiya!" Announced the P.A. The team dispersed and broke out in cheers on how they won. Various handshakes got involved with the cheers.  
  
{1}Matt cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted "Touché!" Tai and the team made their way up to the coach which was right below where Matt was on the bleachers. He could tell the couch was babbling something about victory. He could also tell that Tai was listening to Matt instead of the coach. Tai grabbed his gym cloths. Receiving "Good game!" 's from his team mates, he just smiled and returned the compliment as he made his way to Matt. The two talked as they made their way back to Matt's car.  
  
"You came?"  
  
"Yeah…I finished the test a little early so I could come see you."  
  
Tai laughed. "How was it from up there?"   
  
"You guys sucked." Matt bluntly said. All off Tai's enthusiasm was drained from his face. Matt grinned.  
  
"That wasn't funny." He pathetically said.  
  
Matt shook his head. "I was kidding…you guys did good!"  
  
Tai's smile brightened again "That's better! Of coarse we did good! We always do…I mean…I hate to toot my own horn but…toot toot!" He joked.   
  
Matt rolled his eyes and unlocked the car. The two got in and Matt decided on putting the convertible top up this time.  
  
"So where to now?" He asked.  
  
"Home…I wanna see what T.K and Kari are up to."  
  
'I wonder if they got in touch with Mimi to see what time she's coming, yet…'  
  
- - -   
  
On the way to the airport, Mimi sat in the back with the suitcases and both of her parents were up front. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Kari's number again. 'I wonder if they're even up yet?' She thought as she put the phone up to her ear. It rung twice and Kari picked up. "Hello?"  
  
"Kari!"   
  
"Mimi? Is that you?"   
  
"Yup! It's been a while!"  
  
"It definitely has! Oh my God…how are you doing?" She asked. Mimi could tell she could hardly contain her excitement. At that she giggled.  
  
"I'm pretty good…you?"   
  
"Great! Matt's been moping around for days…I think he's starting to miss you again."  
  
Mimi cleared her throat. "He can't be…his happiness never relied on the presence of a girl…"  
  
"But you aren't _just_ a girl to him-ah never mind! We'll talk about that when you get here. When are you coming?"  
  
"Actually I'm on my way to the airport right now!"   
  
"What!?" She heard T.Ks voice scream into the phone. Apparently they both were listening to her talk. "Mimi? I thought you said you were leaving tonight!"  
  
"I did! Dad didn't tell me the whole thing…look, it's complicated…I should be arriving there 7:30. So tell Tai to meet me at the airport at 5."  
  
"Should we bring Matt?"  
  
"No…I think that'd be too obvious…what about Sora?"  
  
"…"  
  
"T.k?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Where's Sora? How is she doing?"  
  
"I'm afraid she won't be coming with us…She went off to study to be a Botanist."  
  
"Oh…well that's good for her."   
  
"Yeah…I'm real sorry Mimi…I know she's your best friend."   
  
"It's no biggie…I'll just give her a call and congratulate her. Izzy?"  
  
"Izzy moved to Tokyo."  
  
"Joe?"   
  
"None of us have heard from Joe since he graduated." Then she heard the door open and shut. T.k gasped. In the background she heard two voices. Matt and Tai had arrived home.  
  
"Ah! Mimi I gotta go…Tai and Matt are home…I'll see you at 7!" He quickly hung up the phone, leaving Mimi to stare blankly at the piece of technology.  
  
"Aye…no biggie T.k…you can just go ahead and hang up on me, it was just a long distance call." She said to herself sarcastically.  
  
- - -   
  
T.k slammed the phone back on the charger. He turned to The two with a sheepish grin. "Y-Yamato!" He nervously put his hand behind his head. Kari held her head in exasperation. 'Make it a little more suspicious, T.k. I don't think he knows somethings up yet.' She thought to herself.   
  
Matt cocked a brow, but shook it off. It was none of his business who T.K talked to as long as it wasn't hurting him. "Hey Takeru-ski." He teased, ruffling his brother's hair. "Who was just on the phone?" Okay so maybe it was his business to find out. Tai dropped his bag and slipped off his shoes and stood beside Matt, knowing of who the culprit was on the other end of the phone.  
  
"Telemarketers." He lied.   
  
"Mm…I see."   
  
"H-Hai."  
  
"Did you win your game, Tai?" Kari asked, changing the subject. Tai nodded. "Dominated the field!"   
  
"You won two to one." Matt admitted for Tai.  
  
"Yeah…well we still dominated."  
  
Tai crossed his arms and playfully pouted. Matt took a Hershey's kiss from a nearby candy dish and flung it at Tai. Tai caught it, unwrapped it and ate it. "Thanks Matt!"  
  
{2}Matt laughed. "Ah…the smart-ass-ness of it all!"   
  
T.K rolled his eyes. Kari shook her head. She resisted the urge to laugh as she pictured what Matt's face would look like when he saw Mimi again. "I'm gunna go take a shower and stuff." She said, happily skipping off to the bathroom.  
  
"Matt…why don't we watch movies to kill time?"  
  
"Movies? As in not just one but plural?"   
  
"Yeah…like say…four?" T.K continued, eyeing Tai and emphasizing how he wanted to kill time.   
  
"Hm…that's an interesting idea T.k. I want nothing more than to sit on the couch and get fat for 8 and a half hours." As soon as Matt mentioned 8 and a half hours, Tai realized that that was close to the amount of time the flight from New York would take. Tai gasped and covered his mouth. T.K nodded. Matt just shook his head.  
  
"Alright then…" He said, suspicious to what the two were planning. It didn't make him interested but more of sad that he didn't know what was going on. And mad that they weren't seeming to give him any kind of hints. "We'll watch…the whole series of Fushigi Yuugi?" He suggested.   
  
T.K nodded. "Yea-ah!"  
  
Tai snickered. How were they going to sneak out to the airport without Matt knowing?  
  
Hours past…7 lovely hours of 'Nuriko Hotohori Miaka and Tamahome-ness' **good ol' Fushigi Yuugi.** passed. To T.Ks advantage he looked to his right to see his brother passed out on the one-person recliner. But then to his left he saw Kari, sleeping on Tai's lap. T.K sighed in exasperation. He got up, shut the TV off and waltzed over to Tai. He shook the older boy gently. "Taichi?" He whispers, so not to wake up Matt. "It's time to go to Odaiba International Airport-" Tai stirs and shifts slightly.   
  
"Just a few more minutes moth-"  
  
"Tai!" He says as he smacks Taichi on the back of the head with his palm. "Get up!" He says through his teeth.  
  
"Oww!" Taichi shoots his eyes open and rubs the back of his head. "I'm up!"   
  
T.K kneels next to Kari, lifting her sleeping head up off of Tai's lap, allowing Tai to rise from his seat. He goes to the door and slips his shoes on. T.K plants a gentle kiss on her forehead and runs her hand through her hair. "Kari…we're going to pick Mimi up…okay?"   
  
Kari sleepily nods, still absent-mindedly feeling the warmth from T.Ks lips on her forehead. It'd taken until that moment for T.K to realize that he just gave Kari his first kiss to her on the forehead. His cheeks flushed a red as she stirs.  
  
"Good luck…" She says groggily, turning over. He just stared at her for a moment while Tai grabbed Matt's car keys. Since he didn't have his own car yet, he saw no problem in taking Matt's! It was nicer than most cars anyway. T.K took one last look at Kari's sleeping form and whispered, "You're beautiful…" Making sure it was completely inaudible.   
  
T.K looked over and saw that his brother was still asleep. 'Perfect.' He mumbled, then walked out of the door behind Tai. Hearing the door close, Matt's eyes open. "T.K?" He calls once he doesn't feel the presence of anybody. He pursed his lips and sat up. He looked to Kari and ran his hand coolly through his own blonde locks. He sighs and lays back on the couch. "They could have at least waken me up…" he mutters.  
  
- - - - -   
  
Mimi's plane landed. She took her headset off and stuffed them back into her carry-on bag. She stood in the isle and waited for the stewardess' to give permission to let out of the plane. And for the reason that she would be jumpy, she picked a seat closest to the doors.  
  
"Thank you for traveling on American Airlines for your evening flight to Japan! You may now-"   
  
Mimi gasped in excitement, zooming past the stewardess to the newly opened door. She ran through the corridor all the way down to the other end. Panting she comes to a halt. She looks around and everything came back to her. She smiled and looked at her watch. It had automatically set itself to their time. She looked aimlessly for Tai but no sign of him. She pushed a strand of hair out of her face and plopped into the nearest chair. T.K and Tai all of a sudden rounded the corner to the flight area. Passengers were still getting off the plane. But they spotted Mimi's strawberry blond hair. T.K dropped his jacket and ran to her. "Mimi!" He screamed. Mimi looked up. It'd sounded so much like Matt…she met with cerulean eyes that also took a strange similarity to Yamato's.   
  
"T…K?" She asks. "Is it really you?" She couldn't believe it…he was nearly the spitting image! How he'd grown so much!  
  
T.K didn't answer. He just threw himself into her arms and sobbed tears of happiness with her. "Mimi! I missed you so much!" It was like old times…When Mimi used to act as an older sister to T.K.  
  
"I missed you too T.K…where's Tai?" She suddenly remembered the brunette.   
  
Tai slowly approached. Standing tall and carrying T.K's dropped jacket. "Here Mimi." T.K withdrew from the hug and Mimi looked up to Tai. Her tearstained cheeks turning red. She hugs him. "We all missed you Mimi." He said softly.  
  
"And I missed you all!" She exclaimed, wiping the tears away with her sleeve. "So very much!"   
  
T.K chuckled and picked up her bag. "Heey! It's light!"   
  
Mimi nods. "Yup! That's because I checked two more in down into baggage! Come on! Chop-Chop!" She clapped as she walked right by them to head to baggage claim. Tai and T.K sweat dropped and followed her.  
  
Mimi stretched and put her hands behind her head. "Yup! It's definitely great to be back!" She muttered to herself. "I suppose Kari's with Yamato?" She asked T.K. God, it sent chills up her spine just to know they were in the same town once again. T.K nodded.   
  
"Yup…her and Matt were sleepies. I kind of tricked them into watching 7 hours straight of Fushigi Yuugi."  
  
Mimi shook her head. She approached the spot where she needed to get her bags. She searched for a few minutes. And she finally found them. "Hm…so where are we going after this?"  
  
"Back to my apartment." Tai stated. He smiled and looked her in the eye. "Where Yama is."   
  
Mimi almost lost her balance. "Y-yama? Tai! I can't see him…oh my God…I'm a mess! What would he think of me!? This is the first time he's seeing me in years."  
  
T.k laughs. "I know what he'll think of ya!"  
  
Mimi tilted her head. Tai grabbed her suitcase and set it to be wheeled to Matt's car. "He'll think you're beautiful." He says, before starting to roll it back to the car. Mimi blushed and followed, taking the other bag.  
  
  
  
- - - -  
  
{1} It's French for "Touchy" but the way he's saying it means "well done" ^^  
  
Finis with this chapter.   
  
{2} That is such a Matt line. lol  
  
Hope you liked this chapter ^_^ I'm sorry it wasn't that interesting…but hey…she got where she needed to be for this to continue, no? ;) 


End file.
